Castor beans, such as those shown above, are used to make ricin and were
among the items seized from the kitchen of Danielle Dana Layman during
an investigation into her plot to have her ex-husband murdered.

An Oklahoma woman had a novel solution to a child custody issue with
her ex-husband who lived in Israel: Hire someone to travel there and
kill him using the deadly toxin ricin she manufactured in her kitchen.

But
fortunately, the woman who responded to Danielle Dana Layman’s online
posting for what was advertised as an overseas acting job soon learned
the real purpose of Layman’s offer and reported the plot to the FBI. And
Layman, originally indicted in 2017 on a murder-for-hire charge, was
subsequently charged with the unlawful possession of ricin and ended up
pleading guilty to that charge earlier this year. She was sentenced this
past June to a federal prison term.

It all started back in May
2017, when Layman posted an ad: “For production overseas, looking for
talent, 30-45 years old. Doesn’t have to be a professional actor.
Required: Creative, outgoing and friendly, positive personality,
boldness and bravery (some stunts may seem risky, although they are
completely safe) …” The ad went on to say that “… you must not disclose
any information related to this plot to ANYONE under ANY CIRCUMSTANCES
…”

The woman who responded to the ad agreed to an in-person meeting with
Layman, who was using a fake name. At this meeting, Layman divulged a
different purpose for the trip—claiming to be from Israeli intelligence,
she told the woman that she wanted to have an ISIS operative killed.
Using a laptop she brought to the meeting, Layman showed her an entire
presentation containing instructions on what she was being asked to do,
what she should pack, how she would travel to Israel, where she would
stay once she got there, and how she should communicate. Layman also
showed her a package that she claimed contained ricin.

According
to Oklahoma City Assistant Special Agent in Charge Raul Bujanda, who
oversaw the FBI’s investigation, “The woman answering the ad left the
meeting with Layman—after taking pictures of what she was shown—and
immediately reached out to a lawyer friend for advice on what to do. She
was very concerned about what Layman had asked her to do.”

The
lawyer advised contacting the FBI, which the woman did. Said Bujanda,
“She called the Bureau’s Public Access Line on May 9, 2017, the same day
as her meeting with Layman. And the Oklahoma City FBI office opened an
investigation shortly afterward.”

After conducting a number of
interviews and taking other investigative steps, the Bureau was able to
quickly verify the woman’s story, uncover the real identity of the
person she had met with, determine that the target of the plot was
actually the plotter’s ex-husband, and obtain proof that Layman was the
one who had placed the online ad. “In addition,” said Bujanda, “we were
able to determine that Layman was in a custody dispute with her
ex-husband, and that during a recent trip Layman had taken to Israel
with her children, the man had filed a court suit demanding visitation
rights.”

“Because of the potential for ricin being present,
included among those executing the [search] warrant were hazardous
materials specialists from the FBI Laboratory and a number of Bureau
field offices.”

Raul Bujanda, assistant special agent in charge, FBI Oklahoma City

On June 30, 2017, federal agents executed a search warrant at
Danielle Layman’s residence in Ponca City, Oklahoma. “Because of the
potential for ricin being present,” explained Bujanda, “included among
those executing the warrant were hazardous materials specialists from
the FBI Laboratory and a number of Bureau field offices.”

Included
in the cache of items taken from Layman’s residence were about 100
castor beans (from which ricin is derived), a mortar and pestle, and
printed ricin instructions that contained residue from the making of
ricin. The collected evidence was analyzed by the FBI Laboratory.

Layman
was arrested shortly after the search. At her sentencing hearing, the
federal judge assigned to the case made note of the fact that Layman
manufactured the ricin in the kitchen of her family’s home while she was
pregnant and while her second husband and children were living in the
house. Said Bujanda, “When we collected the mortar and pestle used to
make the ricin, we saw that it was well within reach of the children.”

There’s
no telling what sort of harm could have occurred had Layman been able
to solicit the help of an individual willing to carry out her plan in
exchange for a few thousand dollars. “But because of the bravery of one
woman willing to come forward and notify law enforcement when she
learned of possible criminal activity,” Bujanda said, “we were able to
mitigate a threat to people’s lives.”